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The largest union of Multnomah County employees has rescinded its endorsement of county chair candidate Julia Brim-Edwards over comments she allegedly made more than a year ago about transgender student-athletes when she was a member of the Portland Public Schools Board. In turn, the union has endorsed Shannon Singleton, a current county commissioner also bidding for the seat.
Brim-Edwards, a county commissioner who long served as a School Board member until her term ended last year, won the crucial endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 88 two months ago. With more than 4,000 members who can knock on doors, Local 88’s endorsement is consequential in this race.
A motion to rescind that endorsement passed at a Wednesday night union meeting by a vote of 109–33, with 157 members present. A separate motion to endorse rival candidate Singleton passed 80–18, according to meeting minutes provided to WW.
Brim-Edwards was initially invited to attend the meeting to give her side of the story, but that invitation was withdrawn, according to a spokesman.
In a statement to WW on Thursday, Brim-Edwards defended her record on LGBTQ+ issues and blamed Singleton’s campaign. (Singleton didn’t explicitly respond to that allegation.)
“I’m certainly disappointed with the decision especially since it appears to be based on anonymous discredited hearsay from local School Board members’ ongoing false smear that they coordinated with Shannon Singleton’s campaign against me,” Brim-Edwards writes.
Jackie Tate, Local 88’s current president, did not return requests for comment. But on Thursday, she notified Singleton she now had the union’s endorsement.
“At our Local 88 membership meeting last night, our membership voted to endorse your campaign,” Tate writes. “Congratulations and good luck on your campaign.”
Emilie Azorr, a Local 88 union member opposed to the Brim-Edwards endorsement, denied Brim-Edwards’ assertion that the Singleton campaign was behind the canceled endorsement.
“This was an entirely union member–organized effort that had no interference by any political campaign,” Azorr tells WW. “Our members are deeply offended that Brim-Edwards is pointing to Singleton instead of looking at how she continues to show up and treat people, including our members. We would encourage her to look inward instead of continuing to blame BIPOC and LGBTQ+ members of our community.”
Singleton tells WW she’s honored to have the union’s endorsement.
“I’m really proud of our campaign,” Singleton says. “We have been out working hard, knocking doors, going to forums and community events, talking with people. A lot of community members and front-line workers have told me that they support my vision for Multnomah County and I’m just proud to add AFSCME to that list. The message is clear: People are ready for change at the top and not more of the same. I’ll be ready to lead that change on Day One.”
AFSCME’s canceled endorsement comes one week after the political arm of prominent civil rights group Basic Rights Oregon rescinded its endorsement of Brim-Edwards. BRO’s decision came amid allegations that Brim-Edwards raised concerns during Portland School Board executive sessions that trans athletes might hurt scholarship opportunities for other kids and encouraged PPS to consider stricter guidelines for trans athletes to participate in sports. Three School Board members reportedly shared concerns with BRO’s political action committee, which declined to identify the board members.
At the time, BRO wrote that those allegations signaled that Brim-Edwards “does not embody the values Basic Rights Oregon PAC expects of candidates who carry its endorsement.”
BRO’s dating of the allegations to just over a year ago lines up closely with the beginning of an ongoing federal Title IX investigation into PPS and the Oregon School Activities Association. On March 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education opened that investigation because PPS had allowed a transgender student-athlete to compete in an interscholastic girls track and field competition. That athlete, a McDaniel High School student, who won 200- and 400-meter races at a track meet the week prior, had been subject to a slew of right-wing media coverage after critics said her participation was unfair to other female competitors.
At the time, PPS Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong said the district was in “full compliance” with Oregon laws, which might differ from federal guidance. “My commitment—and our district’s commitment—to doing what’s right for all students, especially those most vulnerable, remains unwavering,” Armstrong had said then.
Two weeks later, on April 8, 2025, the School Board met in executive session to “consult with counsel concerning the legal rights and duties of a public body with regard to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed,” reads an executive session notice.
After BRO revoked its endorsement last week, several officials reached out to WW to defend Brim-Edwards’ record on trans and LGBTQ+ issues. For her part, Brim-Edwards called BRO’s move an “outrageous smear” and added that the executive director had refused to take her calls. “The idea that I’m anti-trans in any way is an out-and-out lie,” she said.
Singleton did not comment on the rescinding of Brim-Edwards’ endorsement, but said her position is that “all kids deserve to be respected and have access to the full benefits of their school community, whether that’s athletics, any kinds of extracurriculars, as well as in the classroom.”
“That always will include our trans kids,” Singleton says.
Local 88 had previously approved the initial endorsement of Brim-Edwards by a vote of 45–30. At the time, her campaign highlighted the endorsement as a sign of her ability to collaborate. Rachel O’Rourke, the union’s vice president, said AFSCME had made its decision because “Julia is a time-tested champion for workers’ rights and a powerful partner to our union.”
With 12 days to the general election, Brim-Edwards and Singleton are locked in a bitter three-way race with former Commissioner Sharon Meieran. Brim-Edwards remains the establishment’s favorite to win, with endorsements from prominent politicians and business groups as well as a number of organized labor organizations, including local chapters of the AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union, Teamsters, Oregon Nurses Association, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and United Food & Commercial Workers.
On Thursday afternoon, AFSCME Local 88’s endorsement was still listed on Brim-Edwards’ website.
